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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28113924">Better</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Callie_Girl/pseuds/Callie_Girl'>Callie_Girl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, Recovery, Secret Santa, life-changing field trip</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:02:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28113924</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Callie_Girl/pseuds/Callie_Girl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Azula gets better and goes on a life-changing field trip to Toph Beifong's shelter for abused children.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Better</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Slowly but surely, Azula started getting better.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her empathy could still use work and the occasional lie still slipped out, but after a few years, she was allowed to move back into the palace. Zuko had hugged her when she had arrived. Iroh had smiled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She wasn’t quite sure why they were so happy to see her or why she was allowed to go anywhere in the palace (escorted by two guards, but still.) She’d been cruel to the two of them, laughing at their pain and trying to kill them several times, but Iroh and Zuko seemed determined to put that behind them. They even took her to meet Team Avatar, as they called themselves. Katara was still hesitant, but the others had grown to trust her enough to at least not watch her every move. After everything she’d done to them, they could still be nice to her. Azula had never really believed in miracles, but this certainly felt like one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then, another miracle happened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Azula had been sitting by the turtle-duck pond, feeding them and enjoying Angi’s warmth, when Zuko came over and sat next to her. “Are you having a good day?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” She watched a baby turtle-duck swim loops in the clear water, monitored by her mother and siblings. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m glad. Can you help me with something?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That depends on what you want help with.” She never would have been able to say that to their father. Ozai wouldn’t have even asked. He would just tell her to do it, and she would.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Toph needs a firebender’s help with her shelter.” Ah, yes, the shelter for abused children the little blind earthbender girl was building. “Normally Aang or I would help her, but we’ve both got prior arrangements. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll do it,” she said, holding up a hand to cut off his awkward ramble.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you sure?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you think I would have said it if I was unsure?” She paused, then winced. “Sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fine,” Zuko smiled. “You’ll be there for a few days, so you might want to pack. Katara and Aang will come to get you in an hour.” He rose. “Have fun.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It only took her a few minutes to pack a week’s worth of clothes and some food for the journey, so she spent the rest of the hour wandering around the palace. Zuko had been renovating- gone were the dark colours and dim light- the castle was warm and light, so different from how it had been when Ozai and Azulon were ruling. She enjoyed it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eventually, she saw the Avatar’s bison soar into the courtyard. When she got there, she saw her brother and uncle speaking animatedly to the Avatar. The water tribe girl, Katara, was standing off to the side, looking around nervously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Looking for Azula, probably.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl’s brown face tightened when she saw the princess, confirming Azula’s theory. The Avatar waved.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No matter how many times she saw him, it still surprised her, how young he was. Fifteen, only a few years younger than Azula was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning,” Aang, ever the diplomat, greeted, waving jovially. Katara nodded slightly. “Ready to go?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.” She tossed her bag up into the bison’s saddle, bowed to Zuko and Iroh (they had never made her bow to them, but old Ozai habits die hard,) and climbed up. Katara joined her, sitting as far away from her at the saddle allowed. Aang said his goodbyes to Iroh and Zuko, called for the bison to take off, and they shot into the air.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Flying on the bison made Azula nervous.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She glanced over the side of the saddle again, shuddering as she saw a cloud pass by, close enough to touch. Back when she’d been hunting the avatar, when she and her friends had chased him through a night, she’d seen the bison grow so tired he fell out of the sky.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This thought did not comfort her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She forced herself away from the side of the saddle and rifled through her bag, pulling out a bag of fire flakes and popping one into her mouth. The burn of the spice melted the tension from her shoulders. “How long are we going to be flying?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Katara startled slightly, and Aang glanced over his shoulder. “Two days. We’ll stop to make camp for the night in a few hours.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl’s face tightened again. Understandably, she still didn’t trust Azula to not murder them in </span>
  <span>their sleep. “Aang, are you sure?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang nodded. “Appa can’t fly for two days straight. Besides, we’ll only be dropping Azula off before we go North. Appa can’t make that entire journey on no sleep.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But…” She glanced back at Azula. Azula felt her temper flare, but she tried to stamp it out- trust took a long time to build, she reminded herself. She had tried to kill the girl and her friends multiple times. And, according to Zuko, the girl was always the last to come around. Hopefully, Azula could manage to find a way to earn her trust quickly, because she, unlike Zuko, could not take the girl on a “life-changing field trip” to kill the man who had killed her mother.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you’ve got any idea what I can do to ease your anxiety, do let me know.” Oops. That came out a bit more cutting and sarcastic than she’d meant it to. She opened her mouth to apologize, but the damage had already been done. Katara was glaring daggers like she wanted to push Azula off of the saddle. She looked so mad Azula briefly considered that the Water Tribe girl would actually do it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Great job on making friends.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Azula stayed silent as the flight continued and when they landed in an empty field. The camp was set up with few words exchanged, except for Aang asking her to use firebending to light the campfire. She stayed far from the food as it was prepared and ate first, trying to show that she hadn’t poisoned it, and was the first to go to sleep. When morning came, even though she was the first one awake, she faked sleep until the Avatar woke her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t help. The water tribe girl glared at her the entire way to the earth kingdom. They flew through the day and into the night, only making a few short stops so Appa could get food and drink and so Katara could refill her waterskin. There were a few pathetic attempts from Aang to try and start conversation, but most of their journey was in silence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As the sun began to dip below the horizon, they finally landed near a large mountain just outside of Ba Sing Se. At least, it looked like a mountain at first. Once Azula got a better look, she saw hundreds of windows poking through the side. Some of them had lights behind them, most didn’t.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She jolted as they landed outside an ornate doorway. The earthebender girl- Toph- was already waiting for them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“About time, Twinkle-Toes,” Toph called. Azula almost snorted. “I’ll send her back in about a week. That okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure thing, Toph. Sorry we can’t stay to talk-” Toph cut Aang off with a sharp slice of her hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Relax. Go do whatever you need to do.” Azula slid out of the saddle, bag in hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang nodded. “Appa, yip yip!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The bison took off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Toph waited a few moments, almost like she was watching it go, then turned to the doorway behind them. “I’ll need your help lighting stuff- the cooking fires, torches, fireplaces, yada. That okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was still strange to her that people asked if she was okay with the job they wanted her to do. “Of course.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Toph turned around and gestured for her to follow, then led her into the mountain.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The next few hours were spent following Toph around the mountain, using her firebending to light everything from cooking fires to candles. She met two of the inhabitants, a brother and sister with abusive parents who reminded Azula so much of herself and Zuko that she’d needed to take a break. They were so sweet, so young. The girl, Maya, was only six, and her brother, Mavo, was seven. Mavo always stood in front of Maya, like he was protecting her with his tiny, malnourished body. They were new to the shelter. So new that the bruises on their skin were still black and blue.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Toph must have noticed Azula’s distress, because she knelt down in front of the children and asked them to tell the other inhabitants that dinner would be ready soon, then led Azula into a nearby vacant room once they had run off. “Hey, are you okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re so young…” Azula whispered, fiery rage blooming in her chest. “They shouldn’t- No one should-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” Toph said, raising her hands like she was putting a buffer between herself and Azula. “No one should have to go through that, especially not kids… That’s why they’re here. Here, they’ll be able to just be kids and will be able to rely on people other than themselves. They’ll be safe here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where are their parents?” Her old murderous rage was coming back, and a plan was forming in the back of her mind. Once she knew the location of the parents, it would be all too easy to sneak into their house while they slept and do away with them-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Already in jail.” Jail… that would complicate things- “They’ll never be able to get anywhere near the children again. The Earth King comes down hard on people who hurt kids…” Toph paused like she could read Azula’s mind. “Azula, don’t go after them. I know it’s tempting, but imagine what hurting or killing them could do to your recovery. Don’t let them be the reason you backslide, they aren’t worth it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The clanging of a bell rang through the halls, startling Azula out of her thoughts. Yeah, Toph was right. It wasn’t worth it. They weren’t worth it. “Okay. What was that bell?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dinner,” Toph grinned. “Roast duck, rice, and grilled vegetables. Want some?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That sounded very good. “Yes please.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>During dinner, she met the other three children- a sixteen-year-old girl named Mayumi, an eleven-year-old boy named Haku, and a three-year-old girl who had named herself Feather and wouldn’t respond to her given name, Kaya. Mayumi was sharp and quiet in a way that reminded Azula a lot of her brother when he’d first come back from exile, Haku was loud and happy like Tye Lee, and Feather tried to be quiet, but her bubbly three-year-old personality often burst through. Azula loved them all at once.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they ate, the children told her stories. Haku’s stories were all things he’d made up, like a man who owned an elephant mandril made entirely out of metal but sentient, capable of thinking and moving for itself. Mayumi told her stories she’d heard from people she’d used to live with. Feather told Azula what she dreamed about. Azula listened to all of their stories, occasionally putting in her own, until they were all done and it was time for lights out/quiet time. Azula followed Toph to a room she would be staying in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wish they had had places like these when my brother and I were children.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Toph nodded. “Yeah. I always wished for one when I was younger, but there weren’t any, so now I made one. Hopefully I’ll be able to make more.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Would you…” Azula rubbed the back of her neck nervously. “Would you mind if I brought this idea to my brother and asked him to make a few in the Fire Nation?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Toph paused, a look of genuine surprise flashing over her face. “No, not all- I mean, yeah, go ahead. The more of these places that can get put up, the better. I don’t want any more kids having to deal with what we had to deal with… Here’s your room.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Azula whispered, meaning it for both the room and the permission to set up shelters.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No problem,” Toph said, understanding.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Azula spent the rest of the week at the shelter, using her bending to light fires and occasionally running to the village for supplies. A new kid joined while she was there, a fifteen-year-old boy named Pamoang, and arrived with lacerations and bruises and burns all over his body. He refused to tell them what had happened but said he couldn’t go back to his parents so they had a few ideas. The week seemed to fly by. It felt like it only lasted a few hours before the Avatar was landing his bison in front of the doors.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was much more happy and relaxed on their way back to the Fire Nation. She even chatted with Aang and Katara. She couldn’t wait to get back home and tell her brother her idea.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The future was finally looking bright for her.</span>
</p>
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